Banana Bread from Vicki Delany. Recipe from TROUBLE IS BREWING, A Tea by the Sea Mystery

This recipe is included in the newest Tea by the Sea mystery, Trouble is Brewing.  

Overripe bananas. What to do with them? If there’s one thing likely to be in every cook’s repertoire, whether home cook, amateur baker, or professional pastry chef, it’s banana bread. Because, after all, no one wants to throw out those fast-expiring bananas. For her own enjoyment, Lily likes nuts in her banana bread, but when baking for the breakfasts at Victoria-on-Sea, she leaves them out, just to be safe. This version has nuts included.

Note: Lily makes gluten-free banana bread for the guests when requested, but this recipe is NOT gluten-free.

Banana Bread with Walnuts

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

3 very ripe bananas, peeled, and mashed with a fork

1/2 cup toasted walnut pieces

Directions

Lightly brush a 9 by 5 by 3-inch loaf pan with butter. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl, set aside. Whisk the eggs and vanilla together in a small bowl.  

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually pour the egg mixture into the butter while mixing until incorporated. Add the mashed bananas.  

With a rubber spatula, mix in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Fold in the nuts and transfer the batter to the prepared pan.

Bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Cool the bread in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes  Turn the bread out of the pan and let cool completely on the rack.

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Now Available: Trouble is Brewing, the 5^th Tea by the Sea mystery from Kensington.